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Weak dollar makes going global attractive

With firms facing weak dollar, Small Business Administration promotes how-to videos on exporting

The good news about the weak dollar is it makes American exports more attractive.

And experts say there’s no better time for small businesses to explore going global.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is promoting new videos that explain how small companies can sell goods and services in other countries.

The 17 videos at www.inc.com/exporting each are about five or six minutes long and are a good starting primer.

"We’re seeing a lot of activity in exporting and the (weak) dollar is a big reason for that," said Rick Martin, director of the international trade center of the Georgia Small Business Development Center.

Small businesses that have regarded exporting as being too difficult or risky should reconsider, he said.

"Anything is exportable," he said, noting that Georgia exports chickens, wood and what some call "fancy dirt," or kaolin.

There is some demand overseas for products such as clothing that buyers want to see the "Made in the USA" label, he said.

"If they truly have something that’s exportable, they need to take advantage of the window that’s open now," he said.

Georgia's exports and imports grew in number and value last year, besting the national average for 2010 and helping the state reach new milestones of growth in international trade.

Georgia exported more than $28.7 billion in goods last year, a 20.8 percent increase from 2009 and the most the state has exported in a single year, according to numbers released by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Those numbers rank Georgia 12th among U.S. states in dollar value of exports.

Exporting is a way to fuel rapid growth and for companies to diversify their markets, said Tony O’Reilly, president of the Small Business Assistance Corporation in Savannah.

The Internet has made it easier and cheaper for small companies to sell overseas and to gather information about how to export, he said.

Sometimes, the first step is as simple as making a few changes on a retail website to allow for overseas shipping and payment.

There’s an abundance of information for companies looking to begin exporting, from state and federal organizations, and it’s all free.

That includes the videos made by Inc. Magazine and AT&T in a private-public partnership with the Small Business Administration.

“With the emergence of online commerce and digital communications, the potential to export products and services around the world has never been greater," said Cathy Martine, AT&T executive vice president from Small Business Solutions.

The videos include tips and case studies, including the recommendation that a targeted, "rifle" approach to one overseas market is better than a scattered, "shotgun" approach to a region or the whole world.

Exporting is a long-term endeavor that requires effort, expertise and a budget, and it isn’t a way to save a dying business, the experts say in the videos.

Expect to go to the country being targeted, to learn more and create important face-to-face relationships, they say.

One of the benefits: If your product is something used only in one particular season, by going global, you’ll always have customers, as in: it’s always summer somewhere.

Professional freight forwarders at airports and ports can be very helpful, and cheap isn’t always good when it comes to international transport and customs brokerage, the videos say.

SOME OF THE MANY RESOURCES ON THE WEB

--introductory videos, http://www.inc.com/exporting/

--Small Business Assistance Corp., Savannah: http://www.sbacsav.com/

--Georgia Small Business Development Center Network, www.georgiasbdc.org